Florida is often referred to as the Panhandle State simply because, if you view the continental USA on the map as a distorted frying pan, the state of Florida is its handle.
I travel to this state every time I go on a cruise because Miami is often the starting point for many sea voyages in that part of the world. I’ve been on cruises to the Bahamas, to Bermuda, to the West Indies, to Mexico, and to Brazil. Each of those trips started from sunny Miami.
Five years ago, my siblings and I, together with our families, agreed to have our family reunion in Havana, Cuba, and our cruise started from Miami. En route to Havana, we passed by Key West, Florida, the southernmost point of continental USA, and we made sure we had a photo op on the exact spot marked accordingly, as shown on this page.
The city’s other claim to fame is its Key Lime Pie, “the best in the world.” Naturally, we got ourselves several boxes of this pastry to take back to our staterooms, as cabins are called in a cruise ship. Indeed, the pie was heavenly!
This time, I reconnected with Florida through Tampa, The Florida You’ve Been Searching For, as the city’s tourism slogan declares. It was where the 3-day Senior Living Executive Conference and Expo took place. Events like this all over the world, which cater to the senior community, are the Philippine Retirement Authority’s (PRA) target.
Tampa is known for its food halls, shops, and breweries designed from centuries-old warehouses. It is also popular for being a (Cuban) cigar-making capital. There’s an area in the city with a community of cigar rollers from Cuba and from Sicily, where cigars are hand-rolled on-site, the old-fashioned way. One can see artisans, hunched over their wooden desks, fastidiously inspecting each tobacco leaf, cutting and rolling them with almost machine-like precision.
I had the chance to walk along the city’s “La Septima” (7th Street), which looks like Florida’s version of New Orleans’ Bourbon Street. This busy thoroughfare is filled with tattoo parlors and nightclubs. I passed by a very interesting establishment, Hotel Haya, named after a local celebrity, cigar pioneer Ignacio Haya. What made it particularly interesting is its lobby, where the Café Quiquiriqui is located. Its name is the Spanish version of the rooster’s “cock-a-doodle-doo.” This popular restaurant serves a very extensive and delectable buffet for breakfast, the usual time the cock crows, thus its name.
Another popular attraction in the city is the 97-kilometer Hillsborough River, a part of which cuts across downtown. It flows along four nature trails, making it popular among hikers. Also, the river is home to many species, which is why students are often made to visit, for about three days, a particular spot along the river called “Nature’s Classroom” to learn about the ecosystem, watershed, and some native Florida animals.
A Spanish sculptor put up a 23-foot cast-iron head of a young woman with her eyes closed peacefully and named his masterpiece Laura with Bun, looking as if she is enjoying the Florida sun and soaking it up. But I saw it as the face of a lady who is doing some introspection. In fact, the sculptor, Jaume Plensa, wants the viewer to look at the sculpture as a mirror to reflect one’s image as he/she thinks about the inner self. This statue is found in front of the 105-year-old Tampa Museum of Art downtown.
Of course, the most popular tourist attraction in Tampa is Busch Gardens, a family-oriented theme park that features a combination of animal exhibits, thrill rides, and live entertainment. This is a paradise for children, having all kinds of rides you can imagine, from the easy ones to the most scream-worthy, and all kinds of adorable animals that my grandchildren would have loved to play with. More details on this amusement park some other time.
What I enjoyed the most was the Tampa Riverwalk, a 2.6-mile pedestrian and multi-use path that runs along the Hillsborough River. Open 24/7, it offers a beautiful view of the river and a very interesting historical monument trail. People walk, bike, or take a scooter along it, as they pass by a vast array of shopping, dining, and entertainment establishments. Every time my PRA team and I take a break from our chores at the Expo venue, which is on the Riverwalk, we spend it cruising along the nearby shops and restaurants.
There were many other interesting points to discover in Tampa, but this visit was really quick. However, considering the targets that we at PRA have set our sights on, I’m sure there will be another opportunity to reconnect with the Panhandle State in the near future.
———-O———-
YOUR MONDAY CHUCKLE:
Sleeping comes so naturally to me. I could even do it with my eyes closed!
———-O———-
For feedback, I’m at bobzozobrado@gmail.com
